Netanyahu Insists US-Israeli Relations Remain Strong
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Uriel Sinai/Getty images(WASHINGTON) — On the eve of his controversial speech before a joint session of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the pro-Israel lobby American Israel Public Affairs Committee Monday that he has respect for President Obama and the office he holds.
Even so, Netanyahu’s address Tuesday is expected to undermine efforts of the U.S. and other world powers to secure a deal that would freeze Iran’s nuclear program. Netanyahu contends that Tehran can’t be trusted and is determined to destroy the Jewish state.
With House Speaker John Boehner having done an end-around to invite Netanyahu to speak, relations between Obama and the Israeli leader are described at an all-time low point. However, Netanyahu insisted Monday that he was not out to embarrass the president and that the alliance between the U.S. and Israel is as strong as it’s ever been.
He told AIPAC, “Israel and the United States agree that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. But we disagree on the best way to prevent Iran from developing those weapons.”
Netanyahu contends that Iran’s campaign of terror across the Middle East will be far more treacherous if it obtains a nuclear weapon, which he said will be used “to annihilate Israel.”
Later, National Security Adviser Susan Rice told the same lobbying group that the U.S. remains committed to keep nuclear weapons out of Iranian hands and promised that Washington would not negotiate a “bad deal.”
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